Narendra Modi is back, and so as his impact over Haryana politics

Ahmedabad, 15 September 2013

Also read: All you want to know about Narendra Modi’s Sunday rally at Rewari (updated)

Shri Narendra Modi’s rally is being held in Rewari. Southern Haryana, especially the areas of Rewary, Mahendragarh, Narnaul, Jhajhjhar, Gurgaon has population of around 2.5 lakh former army men. With former army Chief VK Singh, Olympic medalist Rajyawardhansingh Rathore on BJP stage, party has planned impressive show.

Rewari is part of Gurgaon Lok Sabha seat. BJP’s Sudha Yadav was elected to Lok Sabha from Gurgaon seat between 1996 and 2009. However in 2009 Congress party’s Inderjit Singh Yadav snatched away this seat from BJP.

BJP wants to regain this seat in next Lok Sabha polls. In any seat sharing with Bishnoi or eventually with Chautala, Gurgaon seat will be allotted to BJP to contest. BJP has good chance to regain this seat. Sitting MP Inderjit Singh is believed unhappy with Congress party. BJP will scout possibility to attract him. Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda hails from Rohtak, and even the members of ruling Congress have attacked Hooda for being biased with the people of other districts in allotting development projects. Rao Inderjit Singh has been more vocal.He has used hard data procured through RTI which says out of a total of 5,135 announcements of schemes in the State, 2,045 have gone to the three districts of Rohtak, Jhajjar and Sonepat that comprise areas of the Mr. Hooda’s own constituency and that of his son and Lok Sabha MP from Rohtak Deepender Singh Hooda. Of the 3,356 completed schemes, 1,560 are from these three districts whereas 1,796 schemes have been completed in the rest of the State.

In year 2009 Lok Sabha general elections, BJP’s performance was zero. While Congress won 9 out of total 10 seats, one seat went to HJC’s Kuldeep Bishnoi.

Also read/watch video: Haryana Janhit Congress Party President Kuldeep Bishnoi pays courtesy visit to Gujarat CM

BJP is in alliance with Kuldeep Bishnoi, but possibility of grand alliance with both Bishnoi and Im Prakash Chautala’s INLD can’t be denied. At this stage it doesn’t seem possible, because Chautala is allergenic to Bishnoi. But at the same time Chautala has soft corner to Mr. Modi. Suppose a grand alliance actually takes place just before the elections, Bishnoi will contest from Hisar and his wife from Karnal. BJP will contest from seats borderign Delhi, that is, Faridabad and Gurgaon. INLD will contest from its den Sirsa and Sonipat. BJP may also contest from Ambala and Rohtak(CM Hooda’s son represents this seat), while Kurukshetra and Bhiwani may go to INLD.

If INLD is not in alliance, Bishnoi’s HJC will contest two seats while BJP will contest rest of the eight seats. INLD’s stand for BJP last year was very tough. INLD was not even ready to hold any talks with the BJP till it snaps its ties with the HJC. INLD general secretary Ajay Singh Chautala had declared that no negotiations were possible till BJP first breaks its pact with Bishnoi.

However lately there’s a change in attitude. In June this year, while addressing a rally at Madhaopur, Shri Modi said he had worked closely with former Deputy Prime Minister, late Devi Lal and former Haryana Chief Minister, late Bansi Lal. This set the political scene abuzz with talks of new permutations and combinations in Haryana. The talk about the main opposition in the state, the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), possibly joining hands with the BJP — fuelled after BJP chief Rajnath Singh visited ailing party supremo and former Haryana CM, Om Prakash Chautala in a Gurgaon hospital — gained credence after Modi’s statement.

In June itself, INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala in his talk to Indian Express refused to deny the possibility. “We had given the BJP our unconditional support in the past. Our fight is with Congress and whosoever will oust Congress from power, will have our unconditional support. I do not deny the possibility of alliance with any party that forms a front against the Congress.We have a strong social and political ties with Modi. My father (Om Prakash Chautala) was personally invited to his oath taking as chief minister on all the three occasions. We reached an alliance with BJP when Modi was general secretary in charge of the party. And it was then that we won all the 10 Lok Sabha seats in the state,” he said.

It seems Haryana’s politics is less about voting but more about meetings. If anti-Congress forces are united, the Congress can be defeated.

Haryana is very much in focus for BJP. The party organized its national executive meeting last year in Surjkund in Haryana. Modi addressed a rally at the end of the three-day party convention in September 2012. Now here is September 2013, and Modi is there again. Haryana is known turf for Modi. In late 1990s, he was incharge of party affairs in Haryana just before his appointment as Chief Minister of Gujarat. While playing that role, Modi had ensured party’s victory in Haryana in Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections. He is back now.